Mercy Housing staff briefed the Batavia City Council on April 7 about services and needs at Batavia Apartments, a 290-unit affordable housing community in Batavia.

Sarah McCarthy, resident services coordinator with Mercy Housing Lakefront, said the property serves about 563 residents and currently has roughly 485 people on the wait list; wait times for a one-, two- or three-bedroom unit are two to three years. Lynn Queen, a resident services coordinator at Batavia Apartments, described on-site programs funded in part through HUD-approved resident services funding, including health screenings (VNA visits), on-site mental-health programming (AID), domestic violence support (Mutual Ground), vision and hearing tests from the Lions Club, an on-site food pantry, youth after-school activities and partnerships with local organizations (Batavia Park District, Batavia Achievement Athletic Foundation, Batavia United Way, Watershed Studios and U of I extension programs).

Queen and McCarthy described an on-site community garden (plans for 32 beds), volunteer needs for garden assembly and maintenance, and ongoing need for pantry donations. They said the pantry and on-site programs reduce barriers for residents who cannot travel to off-site services. The coordinators also noted youth programs (Girl Scout troop on-site) and efforts to expand after-school programming potentially through the Boys & Girls Club pending facility needs.

Why it matters: Mercy Housing’s on-site services provide social supports that the presenters said help residents pursue education, employment and health goals. The large wait list underscores local demand for affordable housing and the reliance of these residents on on-site supports.

Details from the presentation
- Property size and population: Batavia Apartments described as 290 units; presenters reported about 563 current residents and about 485 people on the wait list.
- Funding and partners: HUD resident-services funding supports on-site programming; local partners listed include Batavia Park District, Batavia Achievement Athletic Foundation, Batavia Food Pantry, Lions Club, Batavia United Way, Watershed Studios, University of Illinois extension programs and others.
- Volunteer/donation needs: help assembling garden beds (April volunteer events noted), pantry donations, event volunteers, and monetary donations through Mercy Housing Lakefront’s donation portal (presenters offered to provide specific giving instructions to the council/community).

What the record shows and what it does not
- The presenters described numbers and program plans as above. They did not request an explicit city funding appropriation at the meeting; their remarks were presented as an informational update and an appeal for volunteers and donations. Specific dollar amounts for unfunded needs were not provided in the presentation, though presenters said some federal funds are currently frozen and asked the community to help.

Follow-up: The presenters invited council members and community members to tour the property and said they would provide information on ways to donate that would directly support Batavia residents.